Atiládé... Tales of a Man's Man

*Image by Ben Rosett via https://unsplash.com*

Yesterday evening, Aunty Ìrètí's scream filled the air. We knew what it meant...Mr. Atiládé is beating his wife again.

Mr. Atiládé is a man’s man... many would say he's a leader amongst men...it shows in every step he takes... Strong, Confident, and impressive. And Aunty Ìrètí is his ‘beauty queen’ wife.

Long before he and his wife moved into the only three bedroom flat in our Compound, I met him at the bank. It was he who directed me to the lady who helped me open my bank account. We met at the door as I got to the Bank… he was also walking in… everyone greeted him as he came in… warmly and with broad smiles… the fact that he is loved and admired by all was obvious…and I wondered who he is. The nice lady who opened my account fortunately answered my unasked question… “He is the new manager… just transferred here from the big City. He is a beautiful man right? His wife is so lucky” She said. I smiled and nodded, thinking, whoever the lady married to such a man is, I want some of her luck.

Then he moved into our compound… I met his wife, Aunty Ìrètí…we became neighbours… and our compound changed forever; the normal quietness became one often interrupted by a piercing scream…always of Aunty Ìrètí… just like yesterday evening.

The first time I heard the scream, I was afraid and worried that something horrible had happened to the Atiládés… who at this point had only just moved in two months ago. It was barely dawn when the Aunty Ìrètí’s piercing scream filled the morning air,  I ran out of my room perhaps without thinking… and so did everyone else… our new neighbours were in trouble and we must help. But their door was locked, Aunty Ìrètí’s scream had turned to an equally loud sob… the men banged the door, shouting and asking loudly if all was well,  if they needed help... but no one responded… the door remained locked. It was Papa Augusta who first peeped into the house through their window… I still remember his gasp and the shock on his face as he turned back and told us Mr. Atiládé was beating his wife.

I couldn’t believe it… Mr. Atiládé is the perfect example of the perfect man I had built up in my mind. So, I went to look through the window… I saw a man who looked like Mr. Atiládé, but unlike the impressive man we all knew, this man was dripping of sweat, his eyes were wild, he held a belt, and stood over the sobbing figure of Aunty Ìrètí who laid shaking on the floor. I pulled back like I had been slapped…. I was shocked.

The men banged on the door… calling Mr. Atiládé to open up… pleading with him to calm down…and not to let his anger get the better of him… reminding him that Aunty Ìrètí is a woman.

I think he opened the door… I think the men spoke to him, but I’m not sure what either of them said, for I had left… only because I wanted to go back to sleep… to forget the scene that unfolded through the window…

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